Mike Marshall & Alessandro Penezzi

Mandolin master Mike Marshall and Brazilian guitar virtuoso Alessandro Penezzi come together in San Francisco for an Omni Foundation concert that celebrates music at its most joyful and transformative. Blending choro, samba, and improvisation, their program showcases two world-class artists whose collaboration highlights the guitar and mandolin’s boundless expressive power.

A three-time Grammy nominee, Mike Marshall is one of the most accomplished and versatile string instrumentalists performing today. A master of mandolin, guitar, mandocello, and violin, he has forged a career that bridges genres with ease. At just 19 he joined the David Grisman Quintet, touring with jazz violin legend Stéphane Grappelli, before forming pioneering ensembles such as the Montreux Band, Psychograss, and the Modern Mandolin Quartet. He has recorded more than 40 albums for Sony Classical, Rounder, Sugar Hill, and his own Adventure Music label, and has appeared with collaborators including Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, Sam Bush, and Sweden’s Väsen. His passion for Brazilian choro, sparked by a trip to Brazil in the 1990s, led him to champion the style in the U.S. through his group Choro Famoso and influential recordings. Equally dedicated as an educator, Marshall directs the American Music Seminar at the Savannah Music Festival and teaches mandolinists worldwide through his innovative ArtistWorks program.

Alessandro Penezzi, born in Piracicaba, São Paulo, is one of Brazil’s most soulful and dazzling guitarists. A multi-instrumentalist fluent on 7-string guitar, tenor guitar, cavaquinho, mandolin, and flute, Penezzi is also a prolific composer whose works have enriched the Brazilian popular music repertoire. He has performed internationally across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, appearing in countries including Japan, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, and the United States. A graduate of Unicamp with a specialization in Creative Processes from Faculdade Souza Lima, he is a sought-after teacher who has led workshops and seminars at festivals around the world. His artistry has earned recognition from major institutions, including the Visa MPB Instrumental, Tim de Música Brasileira, Shell de Teatro, and Prêmio da Música Brasileira awards, affirming his place as one of the leading voices in Brazilian music today.

When Marshall and Penezzi share the stage, traditions from North and South America intertwine, creating a concert brimming with virtuosity, rhythm, and expressive warmth. This is more than a performance. It is a celebration of music’s power to connect, uplift, and inspire, inviting audiences to experience the joy of two masters in conversation.